Henrico names McDowell as fire chief

Anthony E. McDowell has been named the new chief of the Henrico County Division of Fire, effective Oct. 20. County Manager Virgil Hazelett made the announcement Oct. 10.

McDowell, who has been serving as battalion chief of administration in the Henrico Division of Fire, will succeed Edwin W. Smith, who retired in September after five years as fire chief.

As fire chief, McDowell will oversee a department with 539 employees, including more than 500 state-certified firefighters, and a budget of $49.6 million for fiscal 2012-13.

The Division of Fire provides fire protection and prevention services and is the primary provider of emergency medical services in Henrico. The department manages 20 fire stations and a training facility and covers an area encompassing 244 square miles. It also operates a regional hazardous materials team and provides technical rescue, ground search and water rescue. The Division of Fire responded to more than 39,000 calls in fiscal 2011-12.

McDowell joined the Division of Fire in 1997 as a firefighter. He later rose to fire lieutenant and fire captain before becoming battalion chief of administration in 2011. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Virginia Fire Prevention Association, Virginia Chapter of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors and Central Virginia All Hazards Incident Management Team. He is certified as an executive fire officer by the U.S. Fire Administration and a chief fire officer by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The 10th Annual Filipino Festival will be held Aug. 7-8 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 8200 Woodman Rd., beginning with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing with live entertainment, food and exhibits until 10 p.m. On Saturday the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a full schedule of performances featuring traditional Filipino dance, music and song.

Filipino cuisine, including BBQ, pansit, lumpia, adobo, halo-halo, lechon, empanada and leche flan, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature a children's area, church tours, exhibits, and health screenings. > Read more.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond last week opened its new Short Pump location at Short Pump Town Center, to the delight of children who attended a sneak preview of the location July 10. The new facility, located under the forthcoming LL Bean store (formerly the food court) is 8,500 square feet in size – much larger than CMoR’s former Short Pump location at West Broad Village, which opened in 2010. The new space includes The CarMax Foundation Service Station, the Silver Diner, a grocery store, a performance stage and an art studio, as well as a giant Light Bright Wall. > Read more.

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Henrico Police are both presenting community events tomorrow, Aug. 1. The Feria Community Resource Fair at Richmond International Raceway brings together community service providers, embassies/consulates from Latin American countries, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations that impact the Latino community. The Division of Police’s Community Day will feature demonstrations and displays from police, fire, animal protection and sheriff’s office, as well as family activities, food, entertainment and more. Other events this weekend include wine, chess and theatre! For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.